Vol. 537 No. 2
292 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of people employed in his Department's press office; the estimated annual budget of the office; the estimated cost of public relations consultancy engaged by his Department, showing the figures for 1998, 2000; and the estimated costs for 2001. [15896/01]
My Department's press and information office has a staff of four and a half people, the half refers to one job-sharer. Two further temporary civil servants provide communications co-ordination and press advisory services for my office and that of the Minister of State, Deputy Molloy, respectively. The estimated cost of running the office in 2001 is £268,561 which includes salaries, travel and subsistence and overheads.
My Department does not engage any firms to carry out public relations functions. A number of firms are employed to promote awareness of important issues relating to my Department's functions and to fulfil publicity and information requirements under Cohesion Fund Regulations. Details of payments made to these companies are set out in the following table:
|
Consultant |
Description |
Payment 1998 |
Payment 1999 |
Payment 2000 |
Estimate 2001 |
|
Brindley Advertising Limited |
Christmas Recycling Campaign 1998 |
£47,369 |
|||
|
O'Herlihy Group |
Cohesion Fund Publicity Project: monitoring and management of activities by local authorities in relation to fulfilment of publicity and information requirements under Cohesion Fund Regulations |
£35,033.14 |
|||
|
Carr Communications |
Cohesion Fund Publicity Project: monitoring and management of activities by local authorities in relation to fulfilment of publicity and information requirements under Cohesion Fund Regulations |
£50,434 |
£88,017 |
£63,936 |
|
|
Drury Communications |
Provision of advice and assistance in the arrangements relating to the publication of the new local government funding system |
£6,928 |
|||
|
Drury Communications |
Environment Awareness Campaign |
£400,804 |
£502,637 |
||
|
Drury Communications |
Continuation of Environment Awareness Campaign (new contract) |
£471,217 |
£950,000 |
||
|
Drury Communications |
Communications campaign for the National Spatial Strategy |
£10,493.12 |
£104,567.8 |
